


About Time

by ThoseDaysThatWill



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Blake is a good Captain, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Winnipeg Jets, old dog learning new tricks, really cute fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 12:08:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20081959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThoseDaysThatWill/pseuds/ThoseDaysThatWill
Summary: Bryan scoffed, "No, it wasn't! That's the problem. I never wanted this. I wasn't looking for this at all. I was fine with how things were.""Were you really? Then why change it if you don't want to?" Blake looked at him critically."Oh shut up. You know what I mean." Bryan rolled his eyes.Blake raised an eyebrow, "I do? Are you sure you know what you mean?"





	About Time

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt from Katie was: KC/Bryan + friends to lovers + “you know that your book is upside-down, right?” (It was supposed to be a quick drabble, which it's not, but I guess this _is_ short for me.)
> 
> This is set sometime in the middle of the 2018-19 season.

_"I'm too old for this." Bryan took a long drink out of beer bottle in his hand. _

_Blake laughed, "You're never too old for this. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it." _

_Bryan sighed, heavily, "Don't give me that. Nothing's ever snuck up on you. I've watched what you do for years. Everything is calculated and planned. You've never been surprised by any of them." _

_Blake smirked a little, "Maybe so. But you're not me. You've never been happy with just playing the game. This has been a long time coming, it just had to be the right person. It was what you were waiting for." _

_Bryan scoffed, "No, it wasn't! That's the problem. I never wanted this. I wasn't looking for this at all. I was fine with how things were."_

_"Were you really? Then why change it if you don't want to?" Blake looked at him critically. _

_"Oh shut up. You know what I mean." Bryan rolled his eyes._

_Blake raised an eyebrow, "I do? Are you sure you know what you mean?"_

_"No." Bryan sighed again, "Get me another beer and I'll tell you what happened."_

I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice him. I noticed him three years ago, when he first showed up. I got hurt in the first game of the season, and he... well, I worked a little harder than normal to get back into the line up, because I saw what he could do right away. His talent was raw and needed work, I saw that too. But he was still young, so damn young. I don't think he was 20, and I was staring 30 square in the face. But I noticed him. He was shy, didn't talk much, and then all of a sudden, he'd come out with some crack and I'd hear myself _laughing_. But as quick as it was there, it was gone, and he was quiet again, never quite looking anyone in the eyes, but not shying away completely either. I noticed all that, I couldn't help it. There was something mysterious about him, something beneath the surface that he wanted to show, but was afraid to. I told myself that I was _too old _to be the one to bring it out in him. He was sent down when I came back, and I told myself it was better that way anyway. I didn't think about him too often. 

The next season, he wouldn't go away so easily. I watched him work hard to earn the right to stay on our roster. He'd stay late at practice, working on whatever he thought he needed to improve. I might have stayed behind and watched him. Once or twice. I never told him I was there, though. I could have offered to help him, but I didn't want to be in that spot. I don't like playing the grizzled old vet, watching the new kids speed around. I didn't want to put myself in that position and I didn't want him to look at me like that. I didn't want to teach him anything. (Well... maybe a few things. But none of them on that ice surface.) That's not to say we didn't talk. We did _a_ _lot_ of talking. If he was sitting alone on the plane, which was often, I'd take the seat next to him. A few prompting questions, and he'd talk. A lot of times it was about hockey, but there's a lot of personality in there, if you listen. And I found myself enjoying the puzzle of learning exactly who he is. I think along the way, I might have shown him who I am too, but it was unintentional. We made these conversations a habit that season. 

And that brings us to this season, and the point of my story. How I got myself into this spot I'm in. 

It was the second road trip of the season, and we were flying to Nashville. You know what a long trip that is. I'd watched him get more confident as last season went on, so when he sat at the table to join the card game, I was glad. Did I mind that he wasn't sitting with me to talk? Maybe a little, but more I was happy he was feeling comfortable with our teammates, that he was feeling like one of us. I took a book out of my carry-on and settled in to read for a while. Of course, my eyes kept wandering back over to the table every time I heard his voice. And that was often. He was talking and laughing with them, and I found myself smiling watching him. I tried not to stare, but I failed. I'm grateful our team is as completely oblivious and self-involved as they are, because I wasn't as subtle as I thought I was. 

During a break in the game, he came over and sat next to me. Of course, seeing him coming I snapped my eyes back to the book in my hands and tried to act like I hadn't been watching him. Yes, I realize what that sounds like, but it's the reality of what I did. But I wasn't subtle enough about that either.

"Bryan? Do you know your book is upside down?" He asked, with that _damn_ shy soft smile of his. 

A grown man my age should not blush, but I'm sure I did. I quickly flipped the book over. "I just took it out," I lied, "I didn't notice." 

He shook his head, "You've had it in your hands since takeoff."

I raised an eyebrow, "How do you know that?" 

He ducked his head, and blushed. It looked absolutely charming on him, and I did not fail to notice that. He has a terrible habit of hiding his eyes when he's embarrassed, usually under the bill of his hat. In that moment, I wanted to take his hat off, but I didn't. Maybe direct eye contact wasn't the best thing for either of our composures. He said, "I was getting a little bored with Patty and Nik arguing about what kind of poker we were playing, and my mind wandered. I started thinking about how we used to talk on the plane last season, and how I missed that this summer. So I looked over to you and... uh, I noticed your book."

"You noticed then and didn't say anything?" I wonder for a moment if he had said anything to the guys at the table, but that thought passed quickly. He wouldn't do that. He's much more the type that would pretend not to notice something rather than have to embarrass someone in front of their teammates. I assumed that was because he embarrassed easily, but I came to find out it's because he genuinely has compassion for others.

He shrugged, "We started playing then and I assumed you would see it and flip it over. I didn't know you were watching me the whole time." He peeked out from under his hat, to grin at me.

"I was _trying_ to be subtle about it." I smiled, hopefully not blushing as brightly as he was, "But I might have been a _little_ distracted from the book." I closed the book and tossed to towards my bag, never taking my eyes off him. It was impossible not to notice how the shyly cheeky look did absolutely everything for him. Self-control is a virtue that I'm glad I possess.

"Yeah?" He ventured another look at me, but quickly lowered his eyes again. 

"Look at me?" I phrased it as a question, not a command. Slowly his eyes rose until they met mine, and he smiled. _God_, his smile. He took in a series of slow deep breaths, which I am vain enough to assume meant his heart was racing as much as mine was. "Kyle, can I kiss you?" I didn't know I was going to say it, and even hearing the words, I wasn't sure it was me that said them. I'd been thinking it long enough, but I was never quite ready to step over that line with him.

"Mmhmm." He nodded. He clearly wanted to look down, but he didn't, he held my eyes. And I'll admit, it gave me the flutters. He licked his lips, which is something he does every time right before I kiss him. I don't know if it's subconscious or not, but I'm afraid if I ask, he'll be too aware of it and stop doing it, and the look that goes along with it is worth keeping the mystery just that. 

I cupped his cheek, and leaned to kiss him. I don't know if that was his first kiss, I know he didn't have much experience, but I've never asked flat out. I know it wasn't my first, but goddamnit, it felt like it could have been. I've never kissed anyone like that. It was slow and gentle and... _sweet_. I've never in my life felt lightheaded from just kissing someone. But I couldn't bring myself to pull away from him. I wasn't looking to get in his pants, there was no rush to passion in the kiss. I just wanted to keep kissing him like that for hours. He makes these little sounds, something like a sigh or a gasp. If I touch his hair while I'm kissing him, he'll make more of them. Sometimes, if I touch his hair while I'm not kissing him, he'll make them then too. Sometimes he gives me a _look _for messing up his hair. Either way, it's absolutely worth it. 

_"So it went on from there, and a few months later..." Bryan trailed off with a quick raise of his eyebrows. "And that's how I got here." He took another drink, "And I'm not saying I mind it, I'm just saying I didn't expect it. And I think if I had noticed that my book was upside down before he did, none of this would have happened, and I'd still be watching him play cards across the plane."_

_Blake smiled, "Congratulations." _

_Bryan rolled his eyes, "Don't start on that. Old dog, new tricks, I know. But let me ask you a favor. Don't say anything to anyone, okay? He doesn't want to be gossip. We're not even sure what this is yet, and we want to figure it out on our own time. You know how the guys are, they'll make a big deal of it and embarrass him." _

_"I appreciate you trusting me with this." Blake nodded, "They won't hear it from me. But if he keeps looking at you the way he does, they'll figure it out eventually."_

_"These kids? They don't notice anything that's not their own partner, and sometimes not even then." _ _Bryan scoffed, but he couldn't help the smile all the same. "You notice how he looks at me?"_

_Blake grinned, "And how you look at him. It's great to see the from you. I'm happy for both of you."_

_Bryan didn't respond other than a slow shake of his head. Maybe he was right. Maybe was about time. _


End file.
